A Phở Love Story by Loan Le
Synopsis:
If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Not ideal.
If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant.
For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.
But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember.
Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.
REVIEW:
This has so little in common with Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before, yet it's one of the few books that managed to fill my heart with the same kind of warmth and contentment that the trilogy had so long ago.
I think it's difficult to write a contemporary that is equal parts romantic and lighthearted, and, at the same time, unafraid to dive deeper and explore more serious topics. Not only does Loan Le manage to find the precise balance between these two dimensions, but she makes is so that it is impossible for the reader to imagine one existing without the other. On a surface level, the novel delivers the reader with just what they'd expect upon seeing the cover: a sweet love story set to the backdrop of family feuds and culinary adventures. Beyond that, however, Le carefully and tenderly crafts not one, but two coming of age narratives.
Linh, our female protagonist, appears to have always been sure of her calling - well as she might know that her parents despise the prospect for her, she is unable to imagine herself being anything but an artist. Bao, our male lead, on the other hand, has been content with a life of self proclaimed mediocrity, roaming aimlessly through life. As the reader comes to learn, bringing the two of them together may just lead to both of them finding the answers they've been searching for.
If you strip away the romance and family feuds, what you have at the heart of it all is the story of a girl searching for the bravery to be true to herself and fight for what she wants regardless of what others may think of her dreams and a boy who just needs a little push to find his path in life. While their meeting may be the catalyst of it all, it is up to the two individuals to steer their lives on the path that they discover to be right for them. I thought art as a theme was explored in an interesting manner throughout the novel as well - you have Linh on the one side, so sure of her talent and having worked at it for her whole life, then on the other you have Bao, whose awareness of his craft is much more recent, yet not any less ardent for it.
Now, while that is great in itself and what appeals to me first and foremost, I must commend the romance. The progression of it was both organic and exciting and not once did I doubt the chemistry between the two leads. There was something so wholesome to see their romance bloom from shared experiences and one act of kindness that changes everything. The understanding between the two of them, the careful balance between helping each other test their limits without ever pushing too far ... I'd hate to be corny and obvious, but it truly as delicious *chef's kiss*.
Now, onto other elements worth noting. I loved the way Le imbues Vietnamese culture within every layer of her story - you can feel the nostalgia for a homeland lost to time and circumstance, you can see how cultural legacy shapes every way the characters experience and explore the world. From the complicated parental expectations when said parents left their home to offer their children the chance at a better future, to the community one forms even while abroad in order to retain a part of home, to the unavoidable mix of one's mother tongue and their adoptive language, to the food that plays such a big part in this story. Le's attention to detail offered such depth to this story and it makes her characters' world come alive right off the page for all the senses to experience.
I loved seeing the ways both protagonists navigated those complicated family relations, the interaction with their broader community. Special shout outs go to their best friends and Chef Le, the unexpected star of the show.
I cannot recommend this novel highly enough and am very excited to see what else the author comes up with in the future!
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